Rabbit's Wool
by Niki Bogwater
Summary: Love is apparent in the tapestry of the moments you weave together and hold close to your heart. A collection of Sebastian x Farmer fluff pieces that I ended up writing almost by accident.
1. The Wager

**A/N: Happy Holidays! Have an old cliche written with our favorite soft emo boy.**

**Fun Fact: Laura's sweet but sometimes painfully shy nature comes from one of my real-life best friends. Shout-out to Sarah for all the inspiration!**

* * *

The Feast of the Winter Star wasn't Sebastian's favorite festival, but he was learning to appreciate it. He didn't like being dragged out of his safe, cold basement into the blinding sun to mingle with townsfolk he barely knew and endure sitting at the same table as Demetrius. But then again, ever since Laura had come to town, he was starting to see some good in the local festivals, if only because she was always there, smiling and shyly returning the townspeople's fond greetings. Today he had found a nice, lonely tree to stand under, away from the hustle and bustle, where he could observe the festivities without having to force himself to participate in them. He supposed it wasn't so bad watching everyone be happy and friendly with one another. If nothing else, the Feast of the Winter Star served as a reminder of the kindness and unity humans were capable of if they would just take some time to set aside their differences and self-interest.

The soft crunching of snow alerted him to his girlfriend's presence before he felt a small, gloved hand slip around his arm. The two stood in silence, watching the feast, feeling no need to burden the air between them with words. A minute later, the hand on Sebastian's arm tightened, and Laura let out a sharp breath of surprise. He glanced over at her to find her eyes fixated on the branches above them. He followed her gaze to find a sprig of mistletoe dangling inconspicuously above their heads. Laura's cheeks flared up and she shifted awkwardly.

"You know, there is a tradition..." she began with a nervous smile.

"I was never one to follow tradition," Sebastian replied.

"O-oh... Right." Laura visibly deflated, and he couldn't help smirking a little.

"But..." He turned to face her and tilted her chin up to meet her gaze. "I think sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry." He saw Laura's smile before he closed his eyes and leaned in to tenderly touch his lips to hers. Her lips were cold, but so gentle against his. She inched closer to him, one of her hands coming up to cup his cheek.

A blinding light seared through their closed eyelids, and they jerked away from each other as though they had been burned.

"_Abigail!_" Sam's voice squawked from behind the nearby bushes.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I could've sworn the flash was off!" Abigail's head was peaking over the top of the shrub, a polaroid camera in her hands and a wicked grin on her face.

"What the... _Sam!_" Sebastian barked, his face burning.

"No, no, no, don't mind us!" Sam's head appeared next to Abigail's. "Please, continue!" They were both snickering uncontrollably.

"How long have you been waiting there?" Sebastian gawked as Laura buried her face in her hands with an embarrassed squeak.

"I mean, we put that up before anybody got here," Abigail said, pointing to the mistletoe. "But we kind of expected you two to end up under it before now. Y'know, since this is Seb's favorite Brooding Tree."

"My favorite _what?_"

"And now Alex totally owes us ten gold!" Sam crowed. "He said there was no way you guys would smooch in the middle of town like this and now we have _proof! _Thanks for being a pal, Seb!"

"I have never felt so..._violated _in my life," Sebastian hissed as Sam and Abigail frolicked away to collect their dues from Alex.

"Maybe from now on, we only kiss behind closed doors," Laura moaned into her hands.

"Or we could just get better friends," he muttered darkly.

"You know we won't find anyone better than them." She slipped her hand back under his arm, smiling fondly, though her cheeks were still pink. "Now come on. Let's go get some cocoa."


	2. Chilly

**A/N: A very Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it (and even those who don't). This one was so short I didn't think it was worth making everyone wait a full week for it, so I thought I'd give it to you guys early as a little Christmas gift. But don't worry, there will be another oneshot this Friday, and it will have actual substance.**

**Fun Fact: Laura is 5'4'. But to Sebastian, standing at a very respectable 6'2'', she is a very smol bean, so you can forgive him if sometimes he gets a little overprotective of her.**

* * *

Sebastian never got cold, but that didn't mean his wife didn't either.

Laura was Summer incarnate. She thrived in the sun, like her favorite flowers. The heat of the season was never oppressive to her as it was to him. She relished in the warmth, because without it, she would inevitably end up shivering. Anything less than seventy-five degrees fahrenheit was cold to her. For some reason, her slight little body simply could not maintain a comfortable core temperature outside of very specific circumstances. So while Sebastian came alive in the brisk chill of Autumn, and blossomed in the icy stillness of Winter, Laura withered like her beloved Summer Spangles, and became a sniffly, shivery mess until Spring came again.

Today was too cold for _anyone, _not just the sensitive farmer. Even Sebastian had taken note of the chill when he stepped out onto the porch that morning. He didn't think anything of it until Laura came blustering inside after her chores, her nose and cheeks cherry red and her teeth chattering like maracas. She shut the door behind her with more force than usual, and dropped her backpack on the floor, bringing her arms up to hug herself as she stood quivering on the welcome mat.

"You look cold," Sebastian deadpanned with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile. Laura only shivered harder. "Here, come closer." Her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks would have flushed if they were not already so dark from the cold. Her expectations of a warm hug and perhaps a kiss (if she was lucky) were dashed as, instead of reaching out to her when she approached, Sebastian pulled his hoodie over his head and shook it out.

"Mmf!" she grunted as he shoved it over her head and guided her arms into the too-big sleeves. She couldn't complain though, as her whole body thrummed with delight when the warm fabric embraced her. It smelled like rain, and fallen leaves, with just a hint of the cologne he used to wear to mask the stench of cigarette smoke.

"Better?" he asked. She hummed her approval, then leaned closer to him, clearly still expecting a hug. He breathed a voiceless laugh and pulled her to him, arms winding gently around her as she snuggled into him. "I'm going to want it back later," he murmured into her hair.

"No promises," she mumbled.


	3. First Encounter

**A/N: People seem to like pairing Sebastian up with a perky, bubbly extrovert. I always thought it would be more interesting if the Farmer had as much social anxiety as Sebastian. They're just a couple of shy dorks facing the world together.**

**Fun Fact: Along with social anxiety, Laura has what doctors rudely call Sensory Processing Disorder. A more appropriate name for this condition would be Acute Sensitivity, but nobody in the medical world has ever cared what I think about it. A person with Acute Sensitivity feels and hears things much more intensely than most people. This means situations that are normal for most people, such as large crowds or loud music, can cause enormous stress and anxiety for an AS person. So while most people like going to concerts, to an AS person, that is the closest thing to Hell on earth that they can find.**

* * *

All things considered, Laura hadn't meant to meet Sebastian at all.

If people didn't reach out to her, Laura left them alone. She understood the appreciation of solitude, and more than that, she respected barriers. If someone wasn't actively interested in getting to know her, she wouldn't bother them. Back in the city, no one ever reached out to anyone, so she was left in a bubble of loneliness that she simply did not have the courage to reach outside of. Here, though, she couldn't walk through town without somebody expressing interest in her, asking her about the farm, or even just telling her about whatever they were up to. She was surprised, and a little uncomfortable at first, but she grew to appreciate the townsfolk's forwardness. It meant she didn't have to do the hard work of putting herself in other people's paths. It was much easier if they simply came to her.

There were a couple of people in town who were not so interested in her, and she was quite content to leave them alone. One of them was Robin's reclusive son. He and Laura crossed paths several times by the lake, but they always politely ignored each other, as though they had established a silent agreement to leave each other alone. Moments like these almost made Laura hate herself, because as much as she wanted to deny it, there was something about Sebastian that piqued her curiosity. After all, he was mysterious, brooding and (she blushed hot scarlet whenever she thought it) handsome, like a character out of a story. Sometimes she found herself daydreaming that she could muster up the courage to reach out to him, and that he would actually respond, and maybe tell her a little about himself. But then she would accidentally meet his gaze (his icy, piercing, intelligent, made-her-heart-skip-a-beat gaze) when she looked up from her fishing and she would fold into herself like always and try to leave as quickly and unobtrusively as possible.

Robin let this go on for a few weeks, hoping that one of them would open up to the other with enough time, but finally, she grew tired of watching them dance around each other like frantic mimes. She could see something in Laura that she knew Sebastian could connect with; an unwillingness to burden others, a hidden intelligence that would only come to light with proper care and coaxing, a deep thoughtfulness lingering just behind the eyes. This was an opportunity to draw her son out of his shell, and she wasn't going to let it go to waste.

"You've met my son Sebastian, right?" she asked coyly when Laura stopped by the shop to order a new silo. The girl looked a little startled by the question, but Robin waited patiently for an answer.

"I... um... Sort of," she squeaked at last. "He's the tall, dark one, right?" Robin nodded. "Yes, I've...seen him. We haven't really talked..." She must have noticed Robin's eagerness, because she scrambled to find something more to say. "...He seems nice." The carpenter had to hold back a snort. Sebastian was a lot of things, but most people couldn't call him "nice" until they had spent quite a bit of time getting to know him. Laura blushed and stared at the top of the counter as though she had suddenly found it immensely fascinating.

"Well, he lives downstairs, if you ever want to pop in and say 'hi' to him." Laura visibly paled at the idea, but gave a weak nod. "He's a little shy," Robin continued, watching her carefully. "But I'm sure he'll warm up to you if you're nice to him." _Bingo. _She had been watching Laura's face very carefully, so she picked up on the subtle change that came across it when she mentioned that Sebastian was shy. There was the smallest spark of sympathy that lit up behind those azure orbs, a hint of understanding and an opening for a connection. Ironically enough, it was knowing that Sebastian was just as shy as she was that made Laura want to close the distance between them. Robin had set the ball rolling. All she had to do now was wait for the pins to fall.

It took Laura another entire week of constant battle with herself, but eventually, when she found herself at the lake again and looked up to see Sebastian on the other side, lighting a cigarette, she finally mustered up enough courage to make the first move.

_If he's shy, he might just be waiting for me to start things._

_Or he could genuinely not want to talk to me. _

She winced at the thought as she was walking around the lake towards him.

_If this goes wrong, I'm going straight home to bed and I'm never coming out. _

She was mere feet away from him now. There was sweat on the back of her neck and she had to clench her hands to keep them from shaking. She heard herself clear her throat softly, and felt her pounding heart jump into her throat when Sebastian looked up at her.

"H-hello," she squeaked.

"Oh... Hey," he replied slowly, as though he too were thinking too hard about his words. He took a drag on his cigarette and breathed out a cloud of smoke. "You...just moved in, right?" Laura nodded, not trusting herself to speak. "...Cool." A long, awkward moment passed, during which she was rooted to the ground, though everything in her continued to scream for her to run. Sebastian took pity on her, and spoke again after taking another long drag. "Out of all the places you could live, you chose Pelican Town?"

"Er...yes." She took a deep breath. "You see, my grandfather owned a farm here, and he really loved this place, so I thought..." She trailed off, losing her train of thought as he fixed her with his piercing gaze again.

"...Your name is Laura, right?" he supplied after another awkward silence. Laura resisted the urge to facepalm. Why hadn't she led with that? This was basic Human Interaction 101! You were supposed to start with your name before anything else. She was so lucky he already knew it, otherwise this would be a complete disaster.

"Y-yes!" she blurted. "And you're Sebastian." _Way to tell him something he already knows, genius. _"I-I mean, your mom told me about you."

"Of course she did," he muttered, tapping ashes off the end of his cigarette.

"I'm so sorry, I'm probably bothering you..." Laura burst out. Apologies always came easily to her, and she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"What?" Sebastian looked up at her with an arched eyebrow. "No, you're not. You're fine."

"I... really?"

"Yeah." He narrowed his gaze at her, scrutinizing her, and she wished she could shrink down into the earth. "Don't do that," he said after a while, going back to his cigarette.

"Don't do what?"

"Don't apologize for existing." He looked up at her again. "You don't owe that to anyone." Laura's heart did a backflip in her chest.

"S-sorry," she mumbled out of habit. He stared at her blankly for a moment, then did something that made her already fluttering heart pound like a sledgehammer against her ribs. He smiled.

"I think you're gonna need to work on that some more," he said softly, amusement hovering behind his dark eyes. Laura found herself laughing nervously.

"Okay. I'll try." Bolstered by his flash of humor, she tentatively held her hand out. "It was nice meeting you." He eyed her hand for a split second before taking it in his own. He didn't say anything in reply, but he offered her a nod, and somehow, that seemed like enough to her.

_I guess that wasn't a complete disaster, _she thought as she walked home. _And...I wouldn't mind seeing him again. _She caught a flash of red out of the corner of her eye, and looked up to see Robin's back disappearing into the carpenter shop. _Was she...watching us? _A blush exploded onto her cheeks and she buried her face in her hands with a long moan. _I've just been played, haven't I? _

Well, she couldn't say she was too upset about it.


	4. Mine

**A/N: This was inevitable. I'm aware that it's unoriginal, I'm aware that there were far better directions to take this story, don't me, I know. But it's here anyways.**

**Fun Fact: I considered having Sebastian use his mace, which appears in the game's coding but is not implemented as an obtainable item yet. But I always liked the idea of him using the Obsidian Edge, and since the mace is actually called "Seb's Lost Mace," I assumed it was safe to presume it's still lost. Laura's favorite weapon is Neptune's Glave.**

* * *

Laura had been gone too long.

Sebastian knew better than to fuss over his wife. She was small, but very sturdy. She could take care of herself. But with every minute that passed after the deadline she had given him, his heart beat just a little more erratically. Forty-five minutes. She said she would be home forty-five minutes ago. She had been late in the past, but never by this much. Sebastian had been sitting at the kitchen table for the past fifteen minutes, nervously tapping his finger as he stared at the clock.

He couldn't take it anymore.

He stood up abruptly, shoving his chair back with a loud scrape. Logic and experience told him that she was most likely perfectly fine. The mines could mess with your perception of time after all, as he knew from experience when he used to explore down there himself. She probably had no idea that she was late. But fine or no, he was going down there to find her. He still had the Obsidian Edge Laura had given him for his birthday one year. It was hardly ever used, since he no longer wandered in the mines to escape from the oppressive atmosphere of his old home. He pulled it out of the chest where he had stashed it and checked the blade, thanking Yoba when he found that it was as sharp as ever.

The walk to the caves would have been a pleasant one under different circumstances. It was a dark, clear night, with just a sliver of the moon hanging low in the sky. The sharp Autumn breeze kicked up leaves that whispered against the ground as he pounded down the well-worn path through the backwoods. He couldn't shake the feeling of desperation that hung in the air around him. It was like all of nature was urging him to _hurry, something was wrong._

When he reached the caves and was about to descend into the mines, a new problem suddenly presented itself. He had no idea how far down Laura had gone. To search every floor would take at least a full week, and he didn't have that kind of time. He cursed under his breath and raked his fingers through his bangs in frustration. His eyes darted around the cavern desperately, and landed on the old elevator shaft. The elevator wasn't up here. That meant she had taken it down to a lower floor. If he remembered correctly, it always took the rickety old elevator roughly three seconds to pass each floor, but it only ever stopped on every fifth floor. He pulled down the lever to summon it and silently counted the ticking seconds as he watched the cables move. The box pulled up in front of him and stopped with a groan and a clank after approximately five minutes. He did the math and determined that Laura had gone to at least floor one-hundred. He cursed again. The mines were far more than unsafe past floor eighty. They were downright deadly. But that was also where the most valuable gems and minerals were. Laura was experienced enough to be able to traverse those dangerous levels, but a single moment of carelessness down there could mean death. Sebastian's heart was thundering in his chest as he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for floor one-hundred.

The ride down was agonizingly slow. The further down he went, the hotter it became. He shrugged off his hoodie and tied it around his waist. With a loud _ka-chunk _the elevator came to a halt. Floor one-hundred. Sebastian tore out of the box like a feral animal breaking free from a cage. The hot air was stifling down here. His long bangs were damp with sweat and clinging to the side of his face. He coughed into his arm and tried to wave the steam out of his eyes.

"Laura!" he shouted with a rasp. It occurred to him that perhaps announcing his presence to everything that lived down here by yelling at the top of his voice was not entirely wise, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. A sharp scraping sound answered him, and he barrelled forward into the gloom without a second thought, clutching his sword with white knuckles. There was a flash of light, and he barely had time to throw himself to the side as a crackling ball of energy sailed towards him. The dark figure of a Shadow Shaman emerged out of the darkness in front of him. There was an inert body lying behind it.

With a beastial snarl, Sebastian charged forward, driven by a surge of rage so hot it nearly scalded him. The Shaman raised an arm to cast a spell, but he brought his sword down on the joint between its neck and shoulder. He had expected to hear the squelching of flesh and the cracking of bones, but his blade slid through the body with a sound like crunching leaves. The monster made no sound, but its other arm flew up to clutch the wound as it staggered backward. Sebastian pressed forward, giving it no time to react as he drove his sword into its head, shattering its mask. There was a high-pitched whine, and then the Shaman dissolved into shadows.

Sebastian took a moment to recover, his breath coming in sharp gasps. It had been a long time since he'd killed anything, and as the rage slowly ebbed away, it was replaced by disgust. He had no time to ponder it, as his eyes found the figure lying just a few feet away. It was hard to distinguish in the darkness, but he caught the gleam of dark chestnut hair and the delicate curves of his wife's face. His heart froze in his chest. She wasn't moving.

"No. No, no, _no,_" he breathed, stumbling over to her and dropping on his knees. "_Laura!_" His quivering hands hovered above her body, afraid to touch her. Her sword was lying a few feet away, and her arm was laying protectively over her ribs, which were likely broken. Her face was bruised and her hair was singed. There was a deep, bloody gash in her leg that made his stomach turn to look at. There was likely more unseen damage wrought by magic. His hand came to rest on her purple-splotched cheek, his thumb gently caressing the damaged skin. He choked back a sob, suddenly aware that there were tears streaming down his face. He had never seen her so _hurt _before. It felt like an icicle had been driven into his chest. "Laura," he pleaded in a shaking voice. "Wake up. _Wake up!_" His fingers scrambled to find a pulse, and he winced as he had to press against another bruise on her neck in order to find it. It was there, weak and fluttering like a butterfly beneath his hand. He let out the sob that he had trapped in his throat. There was still time. If he could just get her out of here, she would make it.

He grabbed her sword and stuffed it and his own into her backpack. It was risky to put away his weapon, but he hadn't thought to bring a sheath, and his arms were going to be full anyways.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he gently slid his arms beneath her, jostling her broken ribs when he lifted her. Her face scrunched in agony and she let out a weak whimper, but remained limp in his arms. He hefted her up, a distant part of himself feeling embarrassed that he could barely stand up beneath her weight. Long days of hard labor had packed dense muscle onto her slight frame, and she was heavier than she looked. He carried her back to the elevator, somehow managing to squeeze both of them inside before frantically pressing the button for floor zero. The box jolted as it began to move, and Laura squeaked in pain. "Shh." Sebastian tried to soothe her, though his voice was still trembling. "You're safe now. You're going to be okay. I promise."

* * *

The first thing Laura became aware of was a deep, throbbing ache in her chest. The second was a pulsing pain from the gash in her leg. She took in a sharp, shallow breath, her fingers fisting the blanket beneath her arm. Wait...blanket? She cracked one eye open, wincing at the sterile white light that assaulted it. This wasn't the mines. She recognized the white tile ceiling and the smell of cleaning disinfectant. She was in Harvey's clinic. How on earth did she get here?

A warm hand covered her own and a familiar voice breathed her name. She turned her head to find Sebastian sitting at her bedside, his eyes red and weary, his face smudged, and his hair an absolute mess. His hoodie was missing, leaving him in a black graphic t-shirt she almost never saw. He gave her a quivering smile as they locked eyes.

"H-hey," she rasped, summoning all of her strength to turn her hand over and link her fingers with his. "What happened?"

"You were gone so long I started to get worried about you. You were unconscious and...and pretty beat up when I found you." He was struggling to get the words out.

"You...went into the mines? All the way to floor one-hundred?"

"Well, yeah, of course." Sebastian looked a little affronted. "I wasn't going to just leave you down there. Don't freak out, I brought a sword with me, and I only had to fight off one monster."

"Ugh, I'm such an idiot," Laura moaned, screwing her eyes shut. "I wasn't paying attention, and that Shaman got the jump on me. I'm so sorry I put you in danger."

"That's what you're worried about?" Sebastian barked out a humorless laugh. "Not the fact that you could have died if I hadn't found you?" She could have died? She couldn't remember it being that bad. Then again, with how much she was aching now, she supposed it could have been. "Laura, look at me," Sebastian ordered, gently tapping her chin. She blinked her eyes open and watched him wearily. "I'm not the one you have to worry about. I got out without a scratch. Meanwhile, you were already half-dead by the time I found you. It didn't matter to me that it was dangerous. You were in trouble, and I was going to get you out, no matter what. That was my choice, and I'd do it again if I had to, and there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop me. You can't waste your time worrying about what I'm going to do, because that's on me, and me alone." He offered her a crooked smile. "Don't take credit for my stupidity, okay? You just worry about yourself."

"Okay," she whispered, too sore to argue. Sebastian squeezed her hand and brushed his lips across her forehead.

"You know, you really scared me," he murmured, his eyes closing. "I... I started crying when I saw your limp body. It felt like everything we'd worked for together, our future, was crashing down around me. I thought I'd lost you." He opened his eyes and gazed at her seriously. "Don't ever do that again."

"Okay," she repeated in a small voice, fighting against tears of her own. She hadn't meant to scare him. And Sebastian almost _never _cried, so she knew it had been really bad. Her head spun as the severity of her situation finally began to sink in. She grit her teeth and scooted closer to him, wincing at the pain in her ribs, but desperately wanting the reassurance of physical contact. He tucked his arm beneath her head, his thumb landing on her shoulder where it rubbed comforting circles. Her hand came up to rest against his heart, her fingers brushing the Mermaid's Pendant hanging around his neck. She idly wondered where his hoodie had gone, but decided not to dwell on it. She just wanted to melt into his touch and forget this whole thing had ever happened. "M'sorry," she whimpered.

"It's fine," he replied gruffly. "Just get some rest now." He paused. "...I love you," he added, remembering that she had always found those words reassuring.

"Love you, too," she sighed. "Thanks for saving me." He didn't reply, but she did feel his lips press against her forehead again as she slipped back into unconsciousness.


	5. Voiceless Song

**A/N: This was partly born of my desire to write a child character who is as close to the way in-game children act as possible. Total muteness is almost always caused by severe injury or trauma. Research tells me that people who are unable to vocalize from birth are extremely rare, but it is within the realm of scientific possibility. I'd like to stress that Brianna is not selectively mute or intellectually disabled. Though such a character would be far more interesting, writing one was a much bigger challenge than I was ready to take on in this particular project.**

**Fun Fact: I considered using this story in a series that would have served as a direct sequel to "Bun in the Oven." But after encountering creative block with the other five chapters, I decided to leave it here. I haven't completely abandoned the idea, though, and it might still one day see publication.**

* * *

Sebastian awoke to a weight on his chest.

That was pretty normal. Laura had a tendency to migrate on top of him at some point during the night. Still half-asleep, he moved his hand up to pat what he thought was her head, only to find a pyjama-clad leg straddling him. He finally forced an eyelid open, beholding unearthly large blue eyes staring eerily at him in the pre-dawn gloom. Anyone else would have had a heart attack. Sebastian merely let out a yawn.

"Mornin' Bri," he mumbled. The child on his chest merely blinked her huge eyes at him. "Yeah, okay, 'm up." He yawned again, and moved to sit up. Brianna slid down his torso and onto his lap, gaze never wavering. "Can you let me up?" he requested, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "I don't want to wake up Mommy." The small girl clambered off of him and dropped to the floor. Sebastian followed her, shivering as his bare feet touched the cold wood floor. He made sure to tuck the covers back in so that Laura would stay nice and warm, then reached a hand out to his daughter. Her entire hand closed tightly around just two of his fingers, and he found himself smiling as he realized that her hands were growing just a little bigger every day. "Right, let's go."

The pair left the dark bedroom and entered the living room, where Sebastian flipped on a few lights. Brianna's near-luminescent eyes lost none of their luster in the golden glow of lamplight, and they remained intensely focused on her father. He could feel the message she was sending as they walked into the kitchen. He hefted her up onto one of the chairs, the one stacked with old encyclopedias to form a make-shift booster seat.

"Okay, just let me set the coffee maker going, then I'll get you some breakfast." Brianna's eyes continued to follow him as he moved through the room, poured the water, and measured out the coffee grounds. Sam had told him before that her fixated staring was easily the creepiest thing he had ever seen, but at this point, both Sebastian and Laura were used to it. Besides, Brianna was the gentlest soul either of them had ever known. Her intense focus only ever stemmed from benign curiosity, never malice. In fact, the quickest way to tell if something was wrong with her was if her eyes weren't fixed on something with fascination. She only ever stared absently if she wasn't feeling well.

Sebastian set the coffee machine going, then moved to the fridge. "Is cereal okay?" he asked, pulling out a jug of milk. He felt a tug on his pyjama pants and looked down with a start. Brianna could move so quickly and silently, sometimes he swore she could teleport. She blinked up at him, then pointed into the fridge. He followed her finger with his eyes. "Eggs, huh?" he said. "You know I can't make them as good as Mommy." Brianna stared up at him and gave his pants another tug. "Alright, then," he acquiesced, taking out a large white egg and pushing the door closed with his elbow. Brianna scuttled back to her chair and clambered up it to wait patiently.

It took a minute for the frying pan to heat up and the butter to melt. He had just cracked the egg into it when he felt slim arms slip around his waist and a head come to rest on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and leaned back with a hum of greeting.

"Good morning," Laura murmured into the back of his shirt. She peeked over his shoulder at the egg sizzling in the pan. "Your heat is too high." She reached around him and turned the stove dial down.

"I warned her that I wasn't good at this," he grumbled, stepping to the side to let his wife take over.

"I think she knew I would wake up before you could make a disaster of it. Sometimes I think she has the gift of foresight."

"We could send her to apprentice with Welwick," Sebastian suggested teasingly, putting his arm around her waist and watching in fascination as she expertly poured a little water into the pan, where it slipped underneath the egg white with a soft hiss.

"No, I don't think we could bear to send her away for that long," she replied, grabbing the lid from the counter nearby and covering the pan so that it filled with steam. "And anyways, she hasn't completely learned to sign yet. As talented as Welwick is, I doubt she can read minds." Sebastian didn't miss the way Laura's eyes clouded over as she spoke, though her words were nothing but lighthearted on the surface.

It had taken her months to accept that their daughter would never speak. Sebastian had never seen his soft-spoken wife so close to yelling in anger as the day when Harvey gave them the news. She had refused to believe it for the longest time. At first, she was convinced that Harvey was simply mistaken, and that Brianna just needed a little more time. When the girl still hadn't made a peep at eighteen months, Laura had become desperate. She had gone to another doctor from Zuzu City, and when he also failed her, she turned to the Wizard in Cindersap, hoping that magic could provide the cure medicine could not. She even tried to seek help from the forest spirits, who, in spite of their fondness for her, could not grant her only wish. After that, it was several long days before Sebastian could coax her out of their room where she had sequestered herself to try and piece back together her broken heart.

_She'll never laugh, Seb,_ she had cried into his hoodie late one night. _She'll never sing, or talk, or yell, or __**anything**_. That same night, Sebastian screamed himself hoarse shouting at the heavens and Yoba himself for daring to do this to his wife, to him, to his _child. _

_Ding!_

The sound of the coffee machine turning off jerked him out of his reminiscence. At some point, Brianna had grown tired of waiting, and was now perched on Laura's hip, watching her breakfast fry with curiosity. Laura's expression had settled into one of pride mingled with affection as she swayed back and forth. Sebastian shook himself and opened the cupboard to pull out a pair of mugs. He poured Laura's first, leaving ample room for the milk, then filled his own to the brim. He slid Laura's mug down the counter towards her, where she used her free hand to dump nearly a full cup of milk into it. She took a sip and gave a satisfied hum, never pausing in her rhythmic swaying.

Sebastian watched his girls over the top of his coffee, his dark eyes soft. They were his world now, and even without a voice, he could hear Brianna call to his heart. She was a presence in his life that overshadowed all of his childhood passions and ambitions. Above all other things that cried for his attention, his daughter spoke the loudest. So even if the world called her mute, Sebastian could never say that Brianna was silent. She was like a siren, and he was the lovesick sailor who would gladly cast himself on the rocks for her.

_Ugh, where did that come from? _He took a cleansing swig of coffee to clear his mind of such sentiments. He had long outgrown poetic musing, and he wanted to keep it that way. Laura turned off the stove and eased the perfectly cooked egg out of the pan and onto a plate. Sebastian set down his coffee and took Brianna from her, freeing up her other hand so that she could season and cut the egg into perfect Brianna-sized bites. Sebastian set his daughter back on her chair, and Laura presented her egg and a small glass of orange juice to her with a flourish.

"There you go, sweetie," she cooed, pecking Brianna's cheek. She straightened and placed another on Sebastian's lips. "Thanks for taking care of her," she said softly, and Sebastian knew she meant more than just this morning.

"I couldn't do it without you," he said, cupping her cheek in his palm. "And I wouldn't want to either. You and Bri... You're everything to me." Laura gave him a beaming smile and another kiss, and he didn't miss the way Brianna perked up at the sound of her name, though she remained engaged with her egg. She was still too young to understand the weight of his words, but he secretly promised that one day she would. Brianna was going to grow up knowing that her father heard her and listened, even if the rest of the world was deaf. In the meantime, he and Laura would be her voice, and they would shout themselves hoarse until the whole universe knew that their daughter was something special.

All they had to do was listen.


	6. Silences

**A/N: I originally only planned on publishing five chapters. But then I found that my collection continued to grow even after I had marked this project complete. I'm not sure whether to be excited or unnerved that this has gone beyond what I expected.**

**For this particular chapter, my initial plan was to include the actual argument, but as it turns out, it is extremely difficult to put two adults into a situation where they start bickering like children and have both walk away still as likable characters. So I cheated a little bit and just skipped straight to the making up part. Squabbling is an inevitable part of any relationship, especially young ones, and in spite of my personal lack of ability to effectively hold petty grudges, I found this chapter enormously entertaining to write.**

* * *

There existed two kinds of silences between Sebastian and Laura. The first and most common was the companionable kind, when they simply sat together, enjoying one another, without feeling the need to speak. It was during these moments of silence that Sebastian could feel Laura's affection most acutely. She would lean her head on his shoulder when she sat beside him, or ruffle his hair as she passed by, and his heart would swell with appreciation for her quiet, unobtrusive presence. Meanwhile, the second kind of silence made him question how they had stayed married for as long as they had. This was the angry, stony kind of silence, that hung around when communication was most necessary, but neither one of them was humble or willing enough to put in the effort for it. Sebastian and Laura didn't fight often, but when they did, the whole farm went quiet. Sometimes for days. And it was positively _infuriating. _

Sebastian wasn't the best at communicating. He knew that. The trouble was, neither was Laura, at least, not when she was angry. She would clam up and go stalking around the farm like an irate cat, doing everything she could to avoid him. If she was _really _mad, she would leave the house first thing in the morning without making him any lunch for that afternoon, and she well knew that Sebastian was likely to give himself food poisoning if he ever tried to cook anything for himself. She couldn't just yell at him like a normal person. She couldn't just tell him up front that she was upset. No, instead she made them dance around each other like they were a couple of venomous snakes fighting over den space, always threatening to bite, but never actually making any contact for fear of being bitten in return. Sebastian thought it was the most childish and absurd thing in the world.

But for all that, Laura was also always the first person to apologize. She was always the first to admit her mistake, the first to ask for forgiveness, and often the first to give it. Sometimes he found it annoying how she forced him to let go of his sullenness before he was ready, simply with the sheer force of her penitence. He was very good at being angry with people, but she never gave him enough time to properly do it. Even their worst fights couldn't last a full week before she was back in his arms, apologizing profusely, while he had to watch as all of his anger was stripped away until he was left with nothing but an overwhelming desire to convince her that it was all his fault in the first place, which he certainly hadn't believed until just a moment ago.

Not this time, though. This time, Sebastian wanted to be the noble one. In their last fight, she had accused him of being petty, of never letting go of grudges. He was determined to prove her wrong and thereby claim his victory in the argument. He couldn't exactly remember what the argument had been about, but he was pretty sure that if he apologized first, he would win, and that was all that really mattered. And honestly, he was willing to do anything to get rid of this Yoba-cursed _silence. _

So he didn't even give her a full twenty-four hours of sulking before he made his move. When she trudged home that evening, worn out from a long day of angry stewing and laborious farm work, she found him waiting for her in front of the porch, wearing the dashing black leather jacket he knew she loved, and holding out a bike helmet for her.

"Come on," he said gruffly. "We're going out." Laura, feeling that it was quite unfair for him to do this before she had properly finished sulking, tossed her head and moved to march right past him and into the house. Sebastian grabbed her arm as she was passing him and began gently but firmly steering her towards his motorcycle. She sputtered angrily, still too deeply set in her desire to keep giving him the silent treatment to get any proper words out. Sebastian shoved the helmet over her head and sat her on the bike, revving up the engine and taking off before she could decide if she wanted to get off or see where this would lead. He couldn't help smirking when he felt her arms begrudgingly wind around his waist. She saw his face in the rearview mirror and pinched his side in retaliation. He put on an extra burst of speed, forcing her to cling to him more tightly.

_Yoba smite him, _she thought as the wind whipped through her hair and the countryside blurred around her. _He's even wearing my favorite cologne. _

They drove for about forty minutes, neither one of them saying a word. Eventually, Laura's cheek came to rest against Sebastian's back, and his smirk became a genuine smile. The stars came out as they sped down a worn dirt track through the forest, and a waxing moon hung low over the city in the distance. He parked at the top of a ridge, dismounted, then held out a hand for Laura. She pouted for a moment, then sighed, took off her helmet, and put her hand in his. Together, they walked to the edge of the cliff, the view before them familiar, but no less captivating.

"...I still remember when you first brought me here," she said softly. It was the first thing she had said to him since the fight, and it was like a swell of music in his ears. He squeezed her hand, which was still captured in his.

"That was the day I realized I loved you," he murmured. She turned to look at him, blue eyes shimmering in the starlight. "And I've never stopped loving you since then." The words had been carefully scripted by a conniving mind bent on winning their argument, but that didn't make them any less true. "I'm sorry if I've ever made you doubt that."

That was when his plan fell apart. Not only was he finding that he _was _genuinely sorry, and not just because he wanted to win, but Laura's chin had started to wobble, and there were tears welling up in her aquamarine eyes. "Oh. Oh Yoba, no, L-Laura, please don't..." Too late. With a sob, his wife flung herself at him and cried into his leather jacket, arms locking around his neck like vices. "Laura..." Sebastian's hands hovered around her for a moment, before finding their place on her back. "Laura, I'm sorry, really," he pleaded. "Please stop."

"I-I've been s-such a _jerk!_" she wept.

"No, no you haven't. I mean, maybe a little bit, but I was a jerk too, so it's all fine."

"I p-promised! I promised I w-wouldn't pressure you, a-and then I went and...!"

"Hey, hey," Sebastian crooned. "It's alright."

"...and th-then I _ignored _you f-for twenty-two hours... Wh-what kind of wife i-ignores her _husband _f-for an entire day?!"

"Yoba, Laura, please stop," he groaned, feeling absolutely wretched. "It was my fault. I pushed you. So please, _please _stop crying. It's okay, really."

"I called you _petty!_" she wailed, voice muffled in his jacket.

"Yeah, and I am!" he said desperately. "You're right, I don't know how to let things go. I just cling to my bitterness and anger like a stupid kid. But you're the only one who's ever called me out on it. You're the reason I know I need to do better. So it's okay, I promise." He was no longer working with a script at this point. He didn't even care about their fight anymore. He just wanted her to stop feeling like this was all her fault.

"I'm s-sorry," she whimpered.

"It's okay," he whispered. "It's okay." They stood in silence for a few minutes as Sebastian gently ran a hand up and down her quivering back.

"You don't have to go to the Flower Dance with me if you don't want to," she hiccuped.

"...Is that what we were fighting about?" He honestly couldn't remember. It seemed like such a small thing for such a big fight. He was starting to feel embarrassed that he'd wasted this much time over it.

"I mean, that's how it _started._" Laura emerged from his jacket, face still wet, but quite a bit calmer now. "Then it just kind of descended into us insulting each other for ten minutes."

"Ah, heck," he sighed. "I'll go with you if that's what you want. It's not that big of a deal."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I want to see you happy more than I want to stay home anyway." He wiped her cheeks with his sleeve. "So, no more of...that..." He gestured vaguely between them. "Right?"

"Yeah," she sniffed. "We're fine."

"Good." He kissed her forehead. "...Because I've missed you."

In the end, he hadn't really won the argument. But as he rode home beneath a sparkling sky, with Laura hugging him from behind and a familiar, comfortable silence resting between them, Sebastian found that he didn't really care that much. In fact, if it meant they got their normal silence back sooner, he'd happily lose every argument they ever had from now on.

...Well, maybe not _every _argument. Just most of them.


	7. Blossoms in the Ice

**A/N: Alternate Title: Niki Wonders Why the Farmer's Mom/Dad Stops Sending Letters After Year One and She Takes the Idea a Little Too Far.**

**VERY IMPORTANT: This chapter touches briefly on the subject of sexual morality. It's not really the point of the story, but it pops up once or twice, so just be aware of that as you proceed. This might not be a chapter for the younglings under 13. I considered publishing it separately and giving it a full T rating, but that felt a little extreme for what is probably just a small discrepancy. Still, I always appreciate it when authors are careful about labeling their content, so I wanted to give you guys the heads-up.**

**This was originally going to be way shorter, but like everything else in this collection, it got way out of hand, and went from being a simple hurt/comfort piece to a portrait of mother/son bonding, a treatise on the importance of self-sacrifice and sensitivity, and an exploration of Sebastian's psyche. For the time being, this is the last chapter on my backlog, so I cannot promise any more regular weekly updates. I've been working in this fandom for a few months now, and I feel ready to move into new territory (any Mandalorian fans in my audience?). But don't worry, it's unlikely that I'll be gone forever. The Valley is a place that I will inevitably return to, no matter how much time I spend away from it. Thank you all for supporting this story, and I hope you have a bountiful harvest this** **season!**

* * *

Sebastian woke up feeling giddy.

At first, he couldn't remember why he felt that way. It had been many years since he had begun a day feeling that all was right with the world and his life couldn't possibly get any better. The feeling almost scared him at first. Then the night before flashed through his mind, and the feeling swelled in his chest, and he couldn't stop the stupid grin that spread across his face.

After months of dreaming about it, he'd finally kissed Laura.

He was aware that it was a stupid thing to be so excited about. People kissed all the time, and it rarely ever meant anything. But he couldn't stop his traitorous heart from leaping whenever he remembered the feeling of her in his arms, her lips pressed against his, and Yoba, her _smile _when they finally broke apart. And it wasn't just the kiss itself, but what it meant for the both of them. They weren't just testing the waters anymore. They were serious about each other now. For the first time in his life, Sebastian could see a future that he didn't have to spend alone. Sure, he wasn't ready to take her to the altar right this minute, but...now it wasn't completely outside of the realm of possibility. He could actually see himself marrying her someday. The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating. He shoved it out of his mind abruptly. _Focus on today. _He was going to see her again tonight. He was going to pick her up and buy her a drink and everything. Granted, they'd gone on "dates" before, but this was the first time they were doing it properly. His stomach turned over in nervous ecstasy.

He glanced over at his largely-unused alarm clock. 9:13 am. Earlier than usual, but he didn't feel tired enough to go back to sleep. He threw back his covers and rolled out of bed, padding barefoot across the dark room and squinting as he opened the basement door and a flood of daylight enveloped him. He ran a hand through his messy hair as he shuffled down the hallway to the kitchen. He froze in the doorway, his high spirits taking a sudden dip. Right. There was a reason he usually slept late. As he appeared in the room, three pairs of eyes fastened on him; his mother's, surprised but not unwelcoming, Maru's, nothing but startled, and Demetrius's, ever critical. Sebastian swallowed and looked at the floor as he moved across the room to the coffee pot.

"You're up early," Robin said cheerily.

"Especially considering what time you came home last night," Demetrius added, taking a sip of his beverage. Sebastian felt his hackles rise, but he stuffed it down with the memory of last night. For the first time in a long time, he was happy, and he wasn't going to let his step-father take that away from him.

"Did you have fun with Laura?" his mother asked, hoping to ease the tension. Sebastian froze and sent her an accusing glance.

"How did you know I was with Laura?"

"Oh, I might've happened to be by the window when you revved up your bike and I might've happened to look out and see a lovely young lady get on behind you, and I might've happened to put two and two together." Robin gave him a smile that was both apologetic and conspiratorial. Sebastian scoffed and went back to pouring his coffee. "So... Did you have a nice time?"

"...Yeah," he answered softly, feeling a smile tug on the corner of his mouth.

"What exactly were you two doing?" Demetrius inquired. His question was innocent-sounding, but Sebastian knew exactly what he was thinking.

"_Nothing,_" he snarled, jamming the coffee pot back into the machine.

"You stayed out awfully late doing 'nothing,'" his step-father muttered. Sebastian whirled around, nearly sloshing his coffee, in time to see Robin shooting her husband a reproachful look. He felt an insult rising to his tongue, but swallowed it when he thought of Laura. He couldn't let her be another point of contention between him and Demetrius. She didn't deserve that.

"I took her for a drive and we stopped just outside of town and talked for a while. Just talking. Then I took her back home. That's _all._" He forced his voice to remain level. "I'm not the jerk you think I am," he couldn't help adding. "I would _never _take advantage of her."

"I never said you would," Demetrius replied in an infuriatingly calm voice.

"You didn't have to." Sebastian stormed out of the kitchen before he could say something that would really get him in trouble. He heard a chair scrape behind him, but refused to look back until a gentle hand on his arm stopped him halfway down the hall.

"Sebby, he doesn't mean anything by it," Robin said softly. "He just doesn't want you to get hurt. He cares about you. That's why he's hard on you." She squeezed his arm. "...He doesn't want you to turn out like your father."

"Does it never occur to him that that's the last thing I want? That I don't want to be a... a slimeball any more than anyone else?"

"Of course it does. But he understands that sometimes bad decisions sneak up on people. We don't always realize what we're doing is wrong until it's too late. He wants to protect you from that."

"I don't need his protection. I need him to leave me alone and let me live my life."

"I'll try talking to him," Robin promised. "But it's important that you understand that he does care about you."

"Yeah, well, I think I could do with a little less caring," Sebastian grumbled. Robin laughed and squeezed his arm again.

"Not gonna happen, sweetheart. We love you too much for that." She stood on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. "You're going to see her again today, aren't you?"

"H-how did you...?"

"You only ever get up early if you're excited about something. And when you walked into that kitchen, your face was practically glowing, so I knew something good was happening."

"We... We didn't just talk last night," he mumbled, his cheeks turning pink.

"Oh?"

"I... I may have kissed her. And I think... I think things might be starting to get serious."

"Oh, _Sebby,_" Robin breathed, her eyes sparkling. "You mean you might actually love her?"

"Um..." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "...I think I might."

Robin tackled him in a rib-cracking hug, and he only just barely managed to save his coffee from splattering all over the floor.

* * *

The day crawled by at a snail's pace. Sebastian tried working on a few programming jobs, but his stomach was a bundle of writhing nerves, and he couldn't focus on anything. He was ready to leave a full forty-five minutes early, wearing a black leather jacket that Robin insisted made him look especially handsome. He sat on the edge of his bed, watching the minutes tick by, until finally, _finally _it was time to go. He spritzed some cologne onto his shirt, ran a comb through his hopelessly messy hair for the fourteenth time that day, grabbed his wallet and keys, and dodged another one of Robin's smothering hugs as he went out the door. It was the middle of Winter, and the air struck the inside of his lungs like a barrage of tiny icicles. He passed Maru on her way home from the clinic, and she gave him a thumbs-up. He gave her an awkward smile, jammed his hands into his pockets, and forced himself to walk, not run, down the road through the backwoods.

The farm was still when he arrived, blanketed in a fresh snow and sparkling beneath the full moon. His heart fluttered like a butterfly as he mounted the porch and rapped on the front door. He heard a dog barking from inside, but a minute later, Laura had still not appeared. He knocked again. More barking, but no Laura. He checked his watch. 7:03 pm. It wasn't too early. The curtains were drawn across the front windows, and there didn't seem to be any lights on inside. He knocked one more time, swallowing nervously. What if she had decided she wasn't ready for this? What if she hadn't wanted him to kiss her last night? What if-

The handle turned and the door creaked open a few inches. An aquamarine eye peered blearily at him from inside for a moment, before the door swung open the rest of the way. Sebastian sucked in a sharp breath. Something was wrong. Laura's hair, usually shiny and tucked into neat little pigtails, was hanging loose and disheveled across her shoulders. Her clothes were rumpled, as though she had spent the whole day in bed, and her eyes-Yoba her _eyes_-were so haunted and sad. The dog inside was going absolutely nuts, but couldn't push past Laura's legs.

"Laura..." Sebastian breathed. She sniffled and hastily rubbed one of her eyes.

"H-hey, Seb," she croaked. There was a split second's silence before her eyes suddenly widened, and a look of horror flashed across her face. "Oh my Yoba, our _date!_" she moaned.

"Nevermind that," Sebastian said quickly. "What happened?" Laura stared up at him with wide, sorrowful eyes. Her lip quivered, but she made no sound. Sebastian tentatively moved his hand to reach out to her, but suddenly she dove into his arms with a sob and buried her face in his jacket, her shoulders heaving. Her dog came barreling out and began sniffing at Sebastian's legs suspiciously, but he was frozen in place, hands awkwardly hovering away from Laura's body as she trembled against him.

What was he supposed to do? She'd never cried in front of him before, and he had no idea what was wrong. Did she want a hug? Words of reassurance? A tissue? Probably not the last one, as his jacket seemed to be sufficing just fine. Words of reassurance weren't an option, as his brain was too scrambled to find anything useful to say. That left him with the hug. He gingerly placed his hands on her back, keeping his grip loose in case she wanted to escape. She only snuggled deeper into him and cried harder. The dog pushed against his legs and a chill wind sliced through the air. Well, they couldn't stay out here on the porch. She'd freeze to death without a coat.

"A-alright, hey," Sebastian stuttered, giving her back a half-hearted little pat. "Let's get you inside, yeah?" Laura didn't move. Wishing his mother was here to deal with this instead of him, Sebastian eased her back and gently steered her into the house. The dog followed them, apparently finished with his inspection of the newcomer, and curled up in front of the empty fireplace. Sebastian shut the door behind them and slipped out of his damp jacket, hanging it on the coat rack by the door. Laura was still quivering and gasping for air. He tucked her back under his chin with uncertainty, relieved to find that she sank against him easily. They stood in the dark entryway for a few minutes, waiting for Laura to collect herself.

"Okay, what's wrong?" he asked quietly, after it seemed like her breathing had started to calm down. She gulped and pulled away from him, silently taking his hand and pulling him into her kitchen, where an inconspicuous letter was lying on the table. She flicked on a light and gestured to the paper wordlessly. Sebastian picked it up warily, as though it was a wild animal that might bite him. He scanned the neatly typed contents for a minute, his eyes widening as he read. "Oh, Yoba..." he breathed. It was a note from the police. Laura's father had been rear-ended at a stoplight at 12:23 pm yesterday afternoon. The collision had snapped his neck. He was dead long before the ambulance could arrive. Sebastian lowered the note with a trembling hand, letting it fall back onto the table. There was a sick feeling in the back of his throat, like someone had just punched him in the stomach. He'd never met Laura's father, but she talked about him a lot. He had raised her alone after her mother died of cancer when Laura was eight. He was the only one who had encouraged her when she decided to quit her job at Joja and become a farmer. Laura's dad was to her what Robin was to Sebastian. And now he was just..._gone, _without any warning.

"S-so I think y-you can understand wh-why I forgot about our d-date," Laura hiccupped. Sebastian couldn't find it in himself to laugh. He took a deep, shuddering breath and turned to face her. His arms were around her again before he could stop himself."I w-was writing a l-letter to him when I g-got it. I w-wanted to tell h-him all about y-you and invite him t-to come see the f-farm and m-meet everyone, and n-now he's..."

"I know, I know," Sebastian murmured. "Yoba, Laura, I'm so sorry."

"He n-never knew," Laura whimpered. "He never knew a-about us. I didn't tell h-him we were dating b-because I didn't want to g-get his hopes up b-before anything got s-serious, but th-then last night happened, and I..."

"Hey, let's not think about that right now, okay?" Sebastian interrupted. _Traitor, _his heart grumbled. _That's all you've wanted to think about all day. _He pushed her back so he could look her in the eye. "Have you eaten today?"

"N-not since breakfast."

"Water?"

"...I guess it's been a while."

"Get a drink and go sit down. I'm going to get you some food. Will you be okay by yourself for a little while?"

"You don't have to..."

"I didn't ask if I had to," he said a little more sharply than he had meant to. "I asked if you'll be okay while I go to the saloon."

"Y-yeah. But I have food in the fridge."

"No, you have raw ingredients. You're in no condition to cook, and you can't just eat vegetables for dinner." Sebastian started rummaging through her cupboards until he found a glass. He filled it with water from the tap and handed it to Laura. "I'll be back in half-an-hour. When you finish that, get another one." She opened her mouth to argue further, but snapped it shut when he swooped in and kissed her forehead unexpectedly. "You need to take care of yourself, no matter how much you're hurting," he murmured. He was out the door before she could form a response.

He paused on the front porch, breathing deeply. He could do this. He didn't need his mother, he could take care of Laura himself. After all, that was going to be his job from now on, wasn't it? If he was serious about being with her, then comforting her when she was broken was part of the package. _The kiss was probably too much,_ he thought with a wince. He'd gotten a little too eager, a little too excited, and he'd let his feelings take over. He couldn't let that happen again. His words from earlier echoed in his mind. _I would _never _take advantage of her. _Laura was fragile right now, and in no condition to think about their developing relationship. Even though it had been practically consuming him all day, this wasn't the time for it. _But when _will _there be time? _His heart whined petulantly. _Later. Maybe never. It doesn't matter. Laura's what's important right now. _

_She's always been what's important._

* * *

It was 2:25 am. There was a dying fire flickering in the fireplace and an empty take-out box on the table. The house was silent. Even the wind had died down.

Sebastian didn't wake up all at once when the phone began to ring. Rather, he felt himself wading sluggishly through the darkness of his mind, part of him reaching out to the new sound, the other part wanting nothing more than to ignore it. The phone continued to shriek. He blearily opened one eye to find himself staring up at the ceiling of Laura's farmhouse, his neck bent backwards at an awkward angle where it rested against the back of the sofa. There was something warm in his lap, and as he shifted, he felt his fingers card through silky locks of hair. The phone screeched all the louder.

Finally, he managed to collect his thoughts from the muddy bog that was his brain. He was in Laura's farmhouse, sitting on her couch, with her head in his lap, and her phone hollering in the kitchen. He glanced down at her, but she was still deeply asleep, curled underneath an afghan he had thrown over her earlier. He groaned silently and forced himself to sit up, carefully lifting her head in his hands and sliding out from underneath her. He slipped a cushion beneath her head, then trudged into the kitchen, cursing the machine that had disturbed him. He grabbed the receiver and brought it up to his ear.

"What?" he grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sebby!" Robin's voice sounded from the other end. "Oh, thank Yoba, I've been so worried about you! Where have you been? I thought maybe Laura would know... Is she with you?"

"I'm fine, I've been at Laura's house, yes, she's with me." There was a long pause.

"...What are you doing at Laura's house?" Robin asked in a low voice. Sebastian's sleep-muddled brain snapped to attention immediately.

"What do you think I'm doing?" he demanded.

"Sebby..."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I was sitting on her couch while she cried herself to sleep after finding out her dad died. No, we're not having sex-"

"Sebastian!"

"-I already told you I would _never _do that to her. _I'm not like Dad!_" He had to grit his teeth to keep from shouting, and his clenched fist trembled at his side.

"...I know you're not, honey," his mother replied softly. "I was just worried about you."

"...Sorry," Sebastian muttered. "Been a long day."

"Is Laura okay? Does she need anything?"

"She's...managing. I think we've got everything covered. Thanks, though."

"Are you going to stay the rest of the night?"

"I think so," he sighed. "She's going back to the city tomorrow morning to deal with everything there. I'll come home after I've seen her off."

"Okay." There was a pause. "I'm proud of you, Sebby."

"For what?"

"For sticking with her. I know you were excited for your date. But you put your feelings aside and took care of her when she needed you. That takes sacrifice. And sacrifice isn't always easy." _It's easier when you love someone, _he thought, forgetting to say anything in return. "...Sebastian?"

"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking. Thanks, Mom," he said quickly.

"I love you, baby. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Love you too... G'night." He hung up the receiver with a sigh, and stretched his arms above his head, listening to his back pop. He was probably going to regret sleeping on a couch tomorrow morning. Well, love took sacrifice after all. He went back to the living room to find Laura where he had left her. She shifted slightly and opened one eye.

"Wh'time isit?" she slurred.

"Late," Sebastian answered. "Go back to sleep." He slid the cushion out from beneath her head and sat down beside her, laying her head back down on his lap.

"You can go home if you want," she mumbled, though she couldn't disguise her contented little sigh as she snuggled into him.

"Nah." Sebastian's hand came to rest on her hair again, fingers gently stroking the dark chestnut locks. "I'm fine here."

* * *

Sebastian awoke feeling very warm and achy. He hissed as he eased his sore neck up off the back of the couch. He looked down to find Laura's afghan draped over him. Laura herself was moving about the kitchen. He blinked owlishly against the grey winter sunlight streaming through the windows behind him and dug up a hand from beneath the blanket to rub his watering eyes. Laura emerged from the kitchen a minute later, carrying two mugs of steaming coffee. She offered him a weak smile and handed him one.

"You take it black, without sugar, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He took an eager sip, nearly burning his mouth, feeling as desperate for caffeine as a drowning man for air. Laura sat down next to him, cupping her mug in her hands. Her coffee seemed to be half-milk. He nearly shuddered in disgust, and took another grateful swallow from his own blessedly dark beverage. They sat in silence for a few minutes, waiting for one of them to collect their thoughts.

"...Thank you for staying last night," Laura murmured after a while. "I didn't realize how much I didn't want to be alone until you showed up." Sebastian merely nodded.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked. It seemed like a stupid question. Could you ever be okay after losing someone like that? Laura shrugged and sipped her coffee.

"I guess so. Eventually." She sighed. "It's just... Sometimes I forget why I feel so sad, and then I remember what happened, and it's like finding out for the first time all over again. But I think it hurts a little bit less each time, so maybe it'll get better after a while." Sebastian didn't know what to say. He'd never lost someone the way she had. He couldn't say if her theory was correct or not. He shifted a little nervously, but Laura didn't seem to notice, because she scootched closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder wearily. "I'm really glad you're here," she mumbled, as if to herself.

"...Yeah. Me too," he replied softly, allowing himself the indulgence of gently resting his cheek against her soft hair.

* * *

Fat snowflakes were drifting lazily through the air as the two stood at the bus stop, their breath fogging in little clouds around them. Laura had taken Sebastian's hand when they left the farmhouse, and she had yet to let it go. He certainly wasn't going to remind her.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" he asked. It was a little late to be posing this question, but he was finding himself reluctant to leave her side just yet.

"Yeah. There wouldn't be anything for you to do. I'll mostly just be sorting through his old paperwork and packing up a few things. My aunt's going to handle the funeral, but she's the kind of woman who wouldn't want you sitting with us in the family pew unless we were wearing wedding rings, so..." She trailed off, a blush highlighting her cheeks. Sebastian cleared his throat uncomfortably. "...I'll be fine," she finished, giving his hand a little squeeze.

"...If you need something, anything," he said quietly. "...just call me."

"I know," she replied softly. "Thank you, Sebastian." His heart flipped over in his chest as she turned to face him, snowflakes caught in her eyelashes as she gazed up at him. Her blue eyes were still haunted, but the sad look had softened, and there was a flicker of hope burning in them again. Her eyes closed, she tilted her head up, and Sebastian moved before he could think twice. Their lips met, and warmth exploded in his chest and raced down into his fingertips. He gripped her hand tightly, and his other came up to cup the back of her neck. He wasn't really sure how to do it, but he tried his best to pour every ounce of compassion and reassurance he had into that kiss, which probably wasn't much, knowing him, but darn it, it was everything he had. He didn't just want her to know that he wanted her. She needed to know that he was _there, _that he loved her, that he was in this with her.

Whether he got the message across or not, it was over before he even realized it. Suddenly, the bus was screeching to a halt by the curb, and Laura had picked up her suitcase and was climbing on board. She paid the driver and looked back over her shoulder at Sebastian, a melancholy smile playing on the corner of her mouth. Then the doors closed. The bus hissed, revved, and moved away, disappearing into the tunnel. Sebastian was left standing beneath the bus stop sign alone, snowflakes settling in his hair and on his shoulders.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he just knew that he was going to kiss her again when she came home.


End file.
